Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
Label: Columbia
(2013)
Genre: Dance/Electronic Music
Overview: The music of Random Access Memories brings back the feel and sound of the 70's and 80's dance music. A departure from the normal sound of Daft Punk, this album used the sound of electronic instruments. With its low, funky bass lines, Daft Punk's Random Access Memories obviously gets its inspiration from 70's disco.
About the Band: Daft Punk
With their thoroughly modern disco sound — a blend of house, funk,
electro and techno — this French duo were one of the biggest electronic
music acts of the late 1990s and 2000s. Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo and
Thomas Bangalter wore shiny droid costumes at every live show (and only
allowed themselves to be photographed in said costumes) but their music
was only sometimes robotic: Daft Punk were as influenced by rock bands
like AC/DC as they were by classic disco acts.
De Homem-Christo and Bangalter met in a Paris school in 1987 and
eventually formed an indie rock band, Darling. The group went nowhere,
but a review of one of their songs in Britain's
Melody Maker
gave the duo the name their next project: The reviewer called the song
"a bunch of daft punk." Even though neither had been to a dance club
until 1992, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo fell in love with house music
from both sides of the Atlantic, and the pair soon cooked up singles
like intense "Da Funk," which sold 30,000 copies and became a staple of
the Chemical Brothers' DJ sets.
After generating loads of press buzz and sparking a bidding war, Daft Punk signed to Virgin Records. In 1997 the pair released
Homework,
which seemed far less like the work of dance music purists than two
guys who just wanted to get kids to go nuts on the dance floor. Helped
by some innovative videos — including the Michel Gondry-directed clip
for "Around the World" —
Homework went gold in America. Between
albums, Bangalter recorded both under his own name and as Stardust, who
had an underground hit in the late Nineties with the ecstatic "Music
Sounds Better with You."
In 2001, Daft Punk returned with
Discovery, a more poppy
album that tossed in glammy r&b, big-ass house beats, shiny synths,
found noise, sitars, and pop melodies from singers like Romanthony,
whose exhortations powered "One More Time," a Number One hit on the US
Dance Play charts. The disappointing
Human After All followed
in 2004: Though it has some great moments ("The Prime of Your Life") and
riff-heavy rock ("Robot Rock"), it also has too many raw grooves that
went nowhere.
Daft Punk toured throughout the 2000s, making a stop at the 2008
Grammys to perform with Kanye West (on "Stronger," which sampled the
duo's "Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger"), and recording
Alive 2007,
which leans too much on recent work, but is still a lot of fun.
Bangalter and de Homem Christo, who regularly played in front of a giant
pyramid of lights, bring the intensity, especially on the closing
medley of "Superheroes," "Human After All" and "Rock 'N' Roll."
Daft Punk contributed eleven new mixes to the 2009 video game
DJ Hero,
which allowed users to play as Daft Punk, inhabiting the duo's robot
outfits. As of mid-2009, Daft Punk had reportedly recorded 24 songs for
the score to the film
Tron: Legacy, due out in 2011.
Daft Punk Bio (n.d.) Retrieved from www.rollingstone.com
Critical Evaluation: Daft Punk is a 90's band that has managed to keep up with the changing sounds of electronic music. Their new album, Random Access Memories is different from their other albums. While this is a new sound for Daft Punk, it is an old sound. It is the groovy disco sounds of the 1970's. The opening track of this album,
Give Life Back, is upbeat and energetic. It has strong guitar and is a great opening track. Another favorite of mine is
Lose Yourself to Dance. It has a strong dance beat. It is simple but effective. The element that makes this album work is Daft Punk's attention to detail. It has perfectly placed rhythm and drum beats. A lot of hard work and dedication went into the production of this album and it reflects that work. It is a funky, upbeat album that I would recommend to all ages.
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Book Talk Ideas: N/A
Controversial Issues: Sexual Content
Defense:
*I will keep
the library's selection policy on hand and memorized with a good
understanding of the standards and
policies to show that the selection meets the standards.
*I will keep
good and bad reviews (both electronic and print) and make sure they are from
reliable and respected sources such as School of Library Journal, Booklist, and
YALSA. I will have copies of these reviews to give away.
*I will confirm
the library's position to provide intellectual freedom as stated in the Library
Bill of Rights and keep a copy of this.
*I will keep
a written rationale to justify the reasons this material is included in the
collection, such as educational significance and curriculum ties.
*I will be
respectful and calm and practice "active listening".
*I will make
sure I read the material and are very familiar with it.
* I will keep a reconsideration form on file
in the event that my other strategies don't work.
Why I Chose This CD? The band Daft Punk has been around for a while but has gained popularity with the song "Get Lucky". Teens love the upbeat, dance tracks of this album and so do I.
